Latvia

My parents (pictured) are immigrants from Latvia. They came here after WWII and settled here in Rockford. They were proud of their country, but in both cases, they were driven out by the Soviets when they annexed Latvia and the other Baltic states (Lithuania and Estonia). Fearing for their lives, they spent time in a ‘displaced-persons camp’, which today we call a refugee camp, in Germany until they could immigrate to the USA.

I grew up listening to stories about the ‘old country’ and have visited several times since Latvia regained its independence in 1991. It was an emotional journey to visit the places my mother and father had described.

These sketches come from photographs I find online. I have been to many of the places I have sketched, but I yearn to go back for more. Riga, the capital, is rich in amazing architecture and buildings, some of which have been preserved and maintained since medieval times, despite two world wars.